Nevada road wins opening eyes

RENO - Nevada has opened up some eyes around the Western Athletic Conference with its four straight road wins.

Nevada has knocked off Louisiana Tech, SMU, Tulsa and Rice thus far, equalling the Pack's road win total all of last year when they went 4-5 in WAC games. None of the four have been easy, as the Pack have won the four by a combined total of 24 points.

The four wins equals the accomplishments of Louisiana Tech and Tulsa during the 2001-02 season. Utah, back in 1998-99, won all seven of its conference road games.

It's quite an accomplishment for Nevada, which has six new players this season. Only Kevinn Pinkney, Nick Fazekas and Jermaine Washington got substantial playing time during the Wolf Pack's run to the WAC championship and Sweet 16 appearance.

"It's surprising anybody can do that," Louisiana Tech coach Keith Richard said. "It's a tremendous feat by that ballclub. I heard coach (Willis) Wilson when he said it was a testament to how good they are and he was exactly right. I tip my hat to them."

Pinpointing the reasons for Nevada's success vary depending on who you talk to, but the most popular reasons are experience gained from last season, the talents of Pinkney and Fazekas, defense and rebounding.

"We've caught some people at the right time," Fox said, alluding to Tulsa, which turned around and upset Fresno State last Saturday. "We've been playing pretty good defense on the road for the most part."

Fox said that the coaching staff was disappointed with the effort against Tulsa (the Golden Hurricane shot over 50 percent), but that the players responded to the coaching staff's criticism and turned in a solid defensive effort against Rice.

Indeed. When you are winning tough road games like Nevada is doing, you have to be getting defensive stops in key situations. In the four road wins, Nevada has allowed only 62 points a game, which will win you a lot of games.

"I'm surprised and impressed," Fresno State coach Ray Lopes said of Nevada's road start. "They're playing real well together. They are only using seven or eight guys. It looks to me like they are defending real well.

"They are a tough rebounding team and have a guy (Fazekas) that is possibly the best player in the league."

Rice coach Willis Wilson said size and Nevada's athleticism makes the Wolf Pack a dangerous rebounding team. Nevada has out-rebounded its opponents in each of its WAC games. Going into last week's games, the Wolf Pack had an 8.1 per game edge on the boards.

"Obviously their size," Wilson said. "They can outstretch you for the ball. They are not only tall, but they are physical and long. I looked at Nick Fazekas closely and he knows how to stretch himself. Kevinn Pinkney does that as well. It allows you to grab a rebound with two hands instead of one.

"(Mo) Charlo and Washington are extremely athletic. Washington goes after balls that nobody goes after. He's an animal."

According to Wilson, Nevada has done a good job of dictatating tempo.

"They didn't allow us to get up and down the floor," the Rice coach said. "They are a better defensive team than they are being given credit for.

"They believe they are going to win and they are playing with a lot of confidence. They are playing a possession game; one at a time."

Darrell Moody can be reached at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or by calling 881-1281.